2021 Volume 30 Issue 1 Pages 5-16
This essay discusses the significance of employing historical approaches to the study of international development cooperation, defined as consisting of official development assistance (ODA) and other activities. Its arguments are premised on the understanding that analysis of Japan's international development cooperation (hereafter IDC) from historical points of view will open doors to ample bodies of knowledge not readily available otherwise. First, historical studies of IDC since the 1950s can help deepen our knowledge on the footsteps of post-WWII Japan. Second, historical analysis of IDC will be useful in revealing and validating the strengths and weaknesses of its approaches employed therein, such as Japan's strong emphasis on infrastructure development of partner countries. And third, by observing IDC historically, one can expect to grasp a wide range of impacts of IDC to its recipient countries, including both intended and unintended consequences.
